IEC Confirms Ward Re-Election Date

By Chandapiwa Baputaki
Staff Writer | Monday November 2, 2009 00:00

Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Secretary, Gabriel Seeletso announced in a press statement that nominations of candidates shall be received on November 13 at DHT Conference Hall in Mochudi, while polling will follow on December 5.

Fresh elections in Moshawana ward were ordered after outgoing Botswana Congress Party (BCP) councillor Phillip Lebotse and Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)'s Patrick Hersey, a new, comer in the race, garnered the same number of votes (431). The tie came as a surprise in a region that had been an opposition stronghold for the past 15 years. 'Everyone is shocked that there was even a tie and they are delaying us as we see no challenge in this race. The seat is as good as ours,' said the confident Lebotse, who is the incumbent.

He explained that there were two funerals in the village that affected the number of people who were supposed to vote for his party. 'People did not come in large numbers because there were two funerals and some of them had to travel to Serowe for the burial,' he said. 'We gave the campaign our best but now as of today we are going to be more vigorous until the day of the elections. We are confident that we will win the seat again,' Lebotse said.

For his part, Hersey said as the new kid on the block he was happy with the support that he got. 'I believe in myself and that I have what it takes to wrestle the seat from the opposition.' He revealed that he would be intensifying the house-to-house campaign in the ward to change people's mindsets.

'I think that I failed to get it because not many people believed that I was capable of taking the seat from the opposition. It is difficult here as people vote according to the popularity of the surnames and not on merit,' said Hersey, who explained that he was voted for by the majority of the youth who were looking for an articulate leader.

The other parties that contested the ward are the Botswana National Front (BNF), represented by Isaac Kgetsi who garnered 364 votes, while independent candidate, Daniel Modimakwane, got seven votes.